SAD SAGA OF HOMELAND SECURITY

We can have unregulated Mexican trucks cruising through US cities, but let's criminalize non-threatening peace protestors who wish to visit Canada, right or wrong. The absurdity of the Bush administration continues to strangle my vision of America, my worldview, a vision and worldview scripted from those heady colonial days American schoolchildren once studied as gospel, when patriotism meant something more substantial than a power buck at the back door. Homeland Security?

Frankly I do not wish to secede from that union of dreams and go frolicking to the "other" side of what I so earnestly worked heart, mind, and soul to achieve, and that is—being at peace with my country—but George W. Bush, whom I voted for in 2000, and rejected in 2004 by neglecting to vote at all, is not the American leader of yesterday, today, or tomorrow. And I absolutely cringe when I hear people denigrating the voting apparatus in our country so my abstention meant something more than apathy or cynicism to me, but for the life of me, I cannot fathom this trainwreck of deception and ineptitude that America apparently cannot avoid, as if the Fates themselves are in control, and not rational, patriotic, compassonate men.

Who among us can argue against "true" peacemakers, bona fide pacifists, folks who would never harm a fly? Nor fight a war, nor kick a policeman in the shin. We must be certain that while wars and rumors of wars are among us to stay in all likelihood for a long, long time, true pacifism is an ideal worth cherishing. Shades of Thoreau. Things however do become much much foggier when kicking up dust about which war is righteous or just, and even foggier when deciding on a winning and resolute strategy for that just war.

Peace activists, peaceniks, and the odd assortment of well-heeled students strolling the learning curve are not monolithic, and many do indeed exert harm to others, overtly, collectively, singly. Unintended consequences play a feckless role. On the other hand, the one-sided heavy-handed sorely-misguided thumbprint of this adminstration seems to recognize few historical boundaries with regard to illegal aliens from enemy nations entering this country, but is quick to place restrictions and stop gaps on ordinary and extraordinary Americans, who, with their own stories to tell, in this case, decide to visit friendly arch-ally Canada for a short spell.

This stinks. Now what was that I reading about this NAFTA superhighway stretching from Mexico to Canada? Maybe these two ladies should hide in the back of a Kellogg's truck heading toward Toronto. Smuggling humans is actually awarded by this adminstration. This is silly. And yes, it stinks.

WASHINGTON—A day after two U.S. anti-war activists were barred from entering Canada, the reasons for their rejection remained unclear. Barring entry to anti-war activists is "absurd," NDP MP Olivia Chow said yesterday after two U.S. women, both with long records of non-violent protest, were turned away by Canadian border guards.

Ann Wright, a retired U.S. army colonel and former diplomat who quit in opposition to the Iraq war, and Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, a women's peace group, were refused entry this week, apparently because their names have been added to an FBI database.

"These are not terrorists; why do we have to protect Canadians from them?" said Ms. Chow, who represents the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina. "We should not be allowing the FBI or Mr. Bush to dictate our entry policy."

Stockwell Day, the Minister for Public Safety, who is responsible for the Canada Border Services Agency, said: "I can't give you details on specific cases," when asked about the activists. "I can tell you that our border officers do everything within their mandate to make sure that our borders are safe."

Both activists, clad in pink and backed by anti-war supporters holding banners, held a news conference outside the Canadian embassy in Washington yesterday. They said they were astonished that the names of anti-war activists convicted of misdemeanours—such as trespass, the offence routinely used to clear peaceful protesters—had been added to the FBI's National Crime Information Center database.

"This is outrageous. I'm appealing to Canadians not to treat peaceful activists like common criminals," Ms. Benjamin said.

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